CHARLOTTE – The news taking all the headlines for Charlotte FC are all the new signings the team made on deadline day of the summer transfer window. The Club added three players: midfielder Nuno Santos, right back Nathan Byrne, and center back Adilson Malanda. CLTFC interim head coach, Christian Lattanzio, welcomes the new additions but says no one on the team is guaranteed their starting spot.
“These guys come and they are competing. No one is gifted a starting 11 spot. Our boys. They work hard and they work well. They did well in the last game. And so everybody that comes, it doesn't matter where he comes from, he needs to compete for his place as it should be.”
Charlotte’s next opponent, the Chicago Fire, are on a good streak of matches coming into Bank of America Stadium. Even though they sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, they are knocking on CLTFC’s door, sitting only two points behind.
“Yeah, it's going to be a tough game for various reasons because they are a team that is improving. Also, in their last game against Atlanta, they were very strong in that approach, and at home they play with more belief. They have speed energy and dynamism all over the pitch. We have obviously identified one or two things that we can do against them. But it's going to be a good game.”
The Fire were not in playoff contention a month ago but after stringing together four good results they are contending for playoffs. Charlotte will be looking to string together some positive results themselves starting with back-to-back wins at home.
“[Stringing results together] is very, very important in every league. In any league,when you have a good run, all of a sudden everything changes. Changes the mood in the team, changes the mood in the club, changes also the numbers in the table. So, in every league in the world, when you have back-to-back results or even two, three, four in a row – all of a sudden the season can change.”
